Suborder Heteroptera - True Bugs

Western Conifer Seed Bug with instar - Leptoglossus occidentalis

The most striking antlike mirid - Barberiella formicoides

Rhyparochromidae - Pseudopamera nitidula

Pentatomidae - Chlorochroa sayi? - Chlorochroa sayi

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)

Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Formerly treated as a separate order called Hemiptera or Heteroptera; now considered a part of the re-defined order Hemiptera

Numbers

7 infraorders, with ca. 3850 spp. in ~680 genera of 45 families north of Mexico(1) and >42,000 spp. in almost 6,000 genera of ~90 families worldwide(2); there are >420 spp. of aquatic and semi-aquatic bugs in our area and close to 6,000 spp. worldwide(3)

Genera not yet in the Guide are listed in(4)

Overview of Nearctic families [* –taxa not yet in the guide; classification and stats from(2)]:

Suborder Heteroptera

EUHETEROPTERA terrestrial

Infraorder Enicocephalomorpha: ~430 spp. in 65 genera worldwide; families *Aenictopecheidae, Enicocephalidae

Infraorder Dipsocoromorpha: ~340 spp. in ~60 genera worldwide; families Ceratocombidae, *Dipsocoridae, Schizopteridae + 2 tiny Oriental/African families

NEOHETEROPTERA

Infraorder Gerromorpha: semiaquatic; >2,100 spp. in ~160 genera worldwide; 4 superfamilies:

Gerroidea: families Gerridae, Veliidae + one small Indo-Pacific family

Hebroidea: families Hebridae, Macroveliidae + one family with just 2 spp. in so. Africa

Hydrometroidea: family Hydrometridae

Mesovelioidea: family Mesoveliidae

PANHETEROPTERA

Infraorder Nepomorpha: aquatic; >2,300 spp. in 140 genera worldwide; 5 superfamilies:

Corixoidea: families Corixidae, Micronectidae

Naucoroidea: families Naucoridae + 2 minor tropical families (one restricted to the Old World)

Nepoidea: families Belostomatidae, Nepidae

Notonectoidea: families Notonectidae, Pleidae + one exotic family

Ochteroidea: families Gelastocoridae, Ochteridae

Infraorder Leptopodomorpha: riparian/intertidal (with few exceptions); ~340 spp. in ~60 genera worldwide; 2 superfamilies:

Leptopodoidea: families Leptopodidae and a tiny Old World family

Saldoidea: families Saldidae and one monotypic Palaearctic family

Infraorder Cimicomorpha: terrestrial; ~20,600 spp. in >2,700 genera worldwide; 7 superfamilies (one monotypic superfamily is restricted to se. Mediterranean):

Cimicoidea: families Anthocoridae, Cimicidae, Lyctocoridae, Lasiochilidae, *Polyctenidae, and one small exotic family

Microphysoidea: family Microphysidae

Naboidea: families Nabidae and one monotypic African family

Miroidea: families Miridae, Thaumastocoridae, Tingidae

Reduvioidea: families Reduviidae and one small tropical family

*Velocipedoidea: families *Curaliidae (a single species, se. US) + one small Oriental family

Infraorder Pentatomomorpha: terrestrial, mostly herbivorous; worldwide, >16,200 spp. in >2,600 genera of 42 families; 6 superfamilies (one superfamily of 2 tiny families is restricted to Australia and so. South America):

Aradoidea: families Aradidae + a small termitophilous family, mostly Neotropical

Coreoidea: families Alydidae, Coreidae, Rhopalidae + 2 small Old World families

Lygaeoidea: families Artheneidae, Berytidae, Blissidae, Cymidae, Geocoridae, Heterogastridae, Lygaeidae, Ninidae, Oxycarenidae, Pachygronthidae, Piesmatidae, Rhyparochromidae + 4 minor exotic families, mostly palaeotropical

Pentatomoidea: families Acanthosomatidae, Cydnidae, Pentatomidae, Plataspididae, Scutelleridae, Thyreocoridae + 10 minor exotic, mostly tropical families

Pyrrhocoroidea: families Largidae, Pyrrhocoridae

Size

1‒65 mm

Identification

Mouthparts piercing/sucking

Typically two pairs of wings; forewings (hemelytra) are partly leathery, partly membranous (may be variously reduced)

Scutellum prominent (with few exceptions)

Antennae 4- or 5-segmented

Most have thoracic scent glands used for defense

General identification manuals: (5)(6) • keys to [semi]aquatic bugs in (7)(8)(9)(10)(11) • easy online key to families in (12) • many good keys in (13)

Range

Worldwide

Habitat

infraorders Nepomorpha, Gerromorpha, and Leptopodomorpha (the latter with few exceptions) are entirely composed of aquatic, semiaquatic, or shore bugs; the remaining groups are entirely terrestrial and occupy a wide variety of habitats

Food

most species feed on plant juices, many are predators, some are mixed feeders, a few are parasites (blood-sucking)

Remarks

Some are considered agricultural or household pests; info on economically important spp. in (14)

Print References

(15)(16)(17)(18)

Internet References

Stål and Reuter's type specimens imaged

Heteroptera of Quebec(19)

Danish bugs(20)

European Bugs ―large photo gallery with reliable IDs

Works Cited

1.	Catalog of the Heteroptera, or True Bugs of Canada and the Continental United States Thomas J. Henry, Richard C. Froeschner. 1988. Brill Academic Publishers.

2.	Biodiversity of the Heteroptera Henry T.J. 2009. In: Foottit R.G., Adler P.H., eds. Insect biodiversity: Science and society. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell: 223−263.

3.	Global diversity of true bugs (Heteroptera; Insecta) in freshwater Polhemus J.T., Polhemus D.A. 2008. Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment. Developments in Hydrobiology 198: 379-391.

4.	Wanzenverzeichnis: Heteroptera Wish List [genera]

5.	Heteroptera of Eastern North America W.S. Blatchley. 1926. The Nature Publishing Company.

6.	How to Know the True Bugs Slater, James A., and Baranowski, Richard M. 1978. Wm. C. Brown Company.

7.	Identification manual for the aquatic and semi-aquatic Heteroptera of Florida Epler J.H. 2006. FL Dept. Env. Prot., Tallahassee, FL. 186 pp.

8.	Bright E. (2002–) Aquatic Insects of Michigan

9.	Clifford H.F. (1991) Aquatic invertebrates of Alberta

10.	The aquatic and semi-aquatic Hemiptera of Virginia Bobb M.L. 1974. Insects of Virginia 7, iv+195 pp.

11.	Aquatic and semiaquatic Hemiptera of Mississippi Wilson C.A. 1958. Tulane Studies in Zoology 6: 113‒170.

12.	Choate P.M. (YYYY) Identification key to the principal families of Florida Heteroptera

13.	A synopsis of the Hemiptera-Heteroptera of America north of Mexico Torre-Bueno J.R. de la. 1939. Ent. amer. 19: 141‒304 & 21: 41‒122.

14.	Heteroptera of economic importance Schaefer C.W., Panizzi A.R. (eds). 2000. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 828 pp.

15.	Encyclopedia of South American aquatic insects: Hemiptera-Heteroptera: illustrated keys to known families, genera, and species Heckman C.W. 2011. Springer. ix+679 pp.

16.	Liste des punaises du Québec et des régions adjacentes (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) Roch J.-F. 2014. Entomofaune du Québec inc. 40 pp.

17.	New state and provincial records for some nearctic true bugs (Hem.:Heteroptera) from the Ill. Nat.Hist. Survey Insect Collection Swanson D.R. 2021. Great Lakes Entomol. 54: 104‒142.

18.	True Bugs (Heteroptera) of the Neotropics Panizzi A.R., Grazia J., eds. 2015. Springer. xxii+901 pp.

19.	Pilon et al. (1988‒2015) Entomofaune du Québec

20.	Skipper L. (2003-2012) Danmarks Blomstertæger

Contributed by Robin McLeod on 30 January, 2007 - 7:31am
Additional contributions by cotinis, Hannah Nendick-Mason, Lynette Elliott, Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, Ted Kropiewnicki, Boris Bueche, v belov, Harsi S. Parker, Arturo Santos
Last updated 1 June, 2025 - 1:37pm

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